


Warlock's Heart

by astudyinfic



Series: Dragon's Heart [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: F/F, M/M, Magnus POV, dragon shadowhunters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2018-11-10 01:25:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11116974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: Spending four centuries searching for love in the wrong places, Magnus feels like something good is about to happen.  And when Alexander Lightwood comes into his life, it turns out dreams really do come true.Magnus POV for myDragon's Heartseries.  This will make far more sense if you read the main fic first.





	1. Chapter 1

“For a hundred years, I closed myself off to feeling anything, for anyone.”   Magnus wondered anyone really believed him when he said that.  He’d been with Seelies and vampires, werewolves and mundanes.  He’d loved deeply, powerfully, with everything he had.  But it was never enough.

His lovers always wanted something else.  Whether they were with him for his magic, or his power, or his money, those relationships always ended the same.  He used them for release and then left, leaving them with nothing but the memory of their time together.  Magnus refused to let himself be used like that ever again.

So, he closed off his heart.  He took lovers as one-night stands - if it even lasted a night - when he needed some sort of companionship, but he didn’t fall in love.  He couldn’t fall in love.  Magnus spent too long nursing his broken heart to be willing to risk breaking it again.

His friends cautioned him against it.  Magnus Bane without his romances, without love, was not the Magnus any of them knew.  Even Raphael tried to convince him that this was a terrible idea.  But Magnus wouldn’t listen.  Instead, he threw himself into his work, both managing Pandemonium as well as his work as a scholar. 

That work surprised him.  Somehow, a university got his name as someone who might be able to explain the significance of a piece they found during an excavation on the outskirts of Jakarta.  How his name came up, he never did figure out, but he suspected Ragnor had a hand in it.  The other warlock was always lending his expertise to Oxford and other institutions of Lond.

In the end, he identified the item and slowly, they began to call more and more.  Without meaning to, Magnus became the foremost authority on Indonesian art and culture in the academic world. 

Of course, no one would take his word for it that he used to live there during that time, so some creativity was required.  Degrees were procured and since there were clear records of his attendance at those schools, no one wanted to be the one to admit they didn’t remember him.  Soon enough, he had references from people who never laid eyes on him in their entire lives. 

The biggest surprise was how much he enjoyed it.  Magnus knew he loved to study.  Translating old warlock texts was a passion of his, as was developing new magic, both theoretical and implied.  But mundane studies, of the culture and times of his birth?  It never occurred to him that he could make a living doing that and now he wondered why not.  The perfect combination of his knowledge and a cover job to make him seem like any other normal, yet extremely knowledgeable, mundane.

So, his work slowly took over more and more of his loft, with magical items being relegated to secure rooms, as mundane historians liked to pop by almost as much as vampires and werewolves.  They were fascinating to talk to, giving him great amusement when their theories about particular time periods completely missed the mark. 

But, in the end, even with all his work and studies, Magnus Bane was lonely.

“Just get out there.  One date,” Cat told him, as Magnus downed his third glass of scotch in an hour.  “A real date, not just someone you go home with for an hour or so of pleasure.  Can you do that for me, Magnus?  Find a man or woman to spend the evening with?  Have a conversation, go dancing, do _something_.  Please, for me?”

“I don’t understand why you care so much about my personal life, Caterina.”  Deep down, Magnus knew it was because his friend was worried about him but it still seemed unnecessary.  Wasn’t he doing just fine all on his own?  He didn’t need another person to tell him what to do or think or where to be.  And he didn’t need anyone to curl up with on the sofa every night, watching bad shows and eating take out.

Sure, he might want that sometimes but he didn’t need it. 

Right?

After Camille, Magnus came to the decision that the pain wasn’t worth the benefits.  He could live out eternity alone.  Better than the alternatives.

Because even without a lover in his life, Magnus still had his dreams to keep him warm and filled with love.   Dreams Magnus had for as long as he could remember.  Dreams that made him feel safe, even after his father tried to drown him in the creek outside their home.  Dreams that provided far more comfort than the arms of any lover he’d ever been with.  He tried to find that feeling elsewhere.  Seventeen thousand people later and still, the only thing that gave him that much sense of security were the warm brown eyes, so very much like his own. 

Over the course of his centuries, Magnus met a few others who were fathered by Amosdeus.  While he had their father’s eyes, others had his claws or horns or scales.  None of them looked alike and no one but Magnus had the power that he did.  Which meant his father destroyed them not long after their meeting.

So whose eyes were they that he saw?  Whose eyes could draw him in, make him feel warm and safe, protected and loved.  So, very loved.  He never saw the rest of the person, could not tell you if they were male, female, or somewhere else on the spectrum.  He could not tell their race or their age.  But Magnus knew that if those eyes were out there somewhere in the world, he needed to find them.  He needed to know the person who could give so much love with just a look.

“Do any of you get visions?” Magnus asked one night as many of his friends gathered in the loft, a group of the most powerful warlocks in the world.  “Glimpses of things you’ve never seen before but know deep down are real?”  Magnus couldn’t see the future, he knew that.  Every warlock tried at some point or another but it always ended with frustration or disappointment.  The dreams, they seemed different.  Not premonitions, more like a promise. 

Ragnor shook his head, “No, Magnus, you are the only one who has the tendency to see things that are not there, whether it is some rhyme or reason to your clothing choices or the eyes you have told us about so many times.  Why do you keep asking when you know what the answer is going to be?”

“Because I feel like they are close.  I just wish I knew why it was important.  Why no one else I know has ever experienced this.  I even went to the Spiral Labyrinth looking for answers and found nothing except some old mythology about dragons.”   Not knowing something frustrated him more than almost anything else.  He wanted answers, clarity.

Magnus found that it was hard to describe what he knew in his heart.  After four hundred years of waiting, he knew the day where he would finally meet this person was finally approaching.  “I am assuming it’s another warlock.  Who else would have eyes like mine?  Have any new ones moved to the city lately?”  Generally as High Warlock he was the first to know but there might be some reason why the person he dreamt about didn’t come find him immediately. 

Cat shook her head, “None that I know.”  Tessa and Ragnor echoed the sentiments for their own cities.  Magnus’ heart sunk but he tried to remain confident.

“Then, we just haven’t encountered them yet.  It's a big world, who knows what might happen.”  Shrugging it off, he tried to appear nonchalant but his friends knew him better.

Ragnor smiled, “Don’t you have that exhibit coming up?  Your other favorite topic of conversation.  Maybe the person you are working with there is your mysterious stranger?”  As much as he tried to play it off, Magnus knew that Ragnor was just as much of a hopeless romantic as he was.  They just went about things in different ways.

“I already checked.  Completely mundane museum curator with the credentials to match.  Couldn’t find a photo of him but I’m sure he looks like every other person who works at a museum.  Trust me, after the past few years, I’ve learned there is a type.  So he’s probably stuffy and boring and not at all what I am looking for.”

Magnus had never been so happy to eat his words. 

The moment he laid eyes on Alexander Lightwood, Magnus fell in love.  Maybe a bit of an exaggeration but he knew he’d never felt like this about anyone, ever.  He stared long and hard at Alec’s eyes that first day, whenever he thought the curator wasn’t looking but never saw anything other than the warmth and intelligence that was there every other time.  So while Alec might not be the person Magnus had been waiting on, he managed to do the impossible and drive thoughts of his dream person far from his mind.

Judging by the longing looks and shared frustration, it seemed mutual, particularly when Alec’s annoying blond sibling kept interrupting them at every step.  At one point, Magnus wondered if this would ever happen for them, if this was going to be the biggest what-if of his very long life.  But then, by some miracle, Alec texted out of the blue and they spent a wonderful, quiet night together in his loft.

If things had continued like that for awhile, Magnus wouldn’t have complained.  Spending time with Alec was wonderful, no matter what they were doing.  But then, the exhibit finally opened and Magnus Bane was sure he had died and gone to heaven.  Nothing could prepare him for the sight of Alexander Lightwood in a tux.  Normally hidden under stylish but ill-fitting clothes, Alec was a dream in the perfectly fitted tuxedo.  Whether it was his supposedly fashion conscious sister’s doing or Alec had a fashionable streak he kept hidden, Magnus didn’t know.  But he also didn’t care as long as he could stare long and hard at Alec all night long.

When they got a chance to meet at the bar between entertaining patrons, Alec utter the fateful words, “But once we are done here, I am all yours for the night.”  Magnus had no idea Alec could be so flirtatious and the heat went straight between his legs, leaving him somewhat turned on for the rest of the night.  The gala passed in a blur of smiling people, an open bar, and Alec.  He stood out like the sun compared to the stars. 

If Magnus had a better night in all his life, he long since forgot it.  Nothing compared to the shared looks and the building desire that passed between them.  Nothing compared to finally being able to hold Alec in his arms and kiss him as much as he liked the moment the gala was over.  Annoying assistant aside, Magnus knew he could have sat in that chair, in Alec’s lap all night long and still been the luckiest man alive. 

But things continued to progress until they were all over each other in the cab, apparently giving their driver the best show of the night.  Alec’s blush, even in the dim light of the car made Magnus fall a little more in love with him.  Alec Lightwood was the things dreams were made of and Magnus wanted to stay with him for the rest of the young man’s life.  He only hoped that Alec wanted the same.

As turned on as he was by the idea of having Alec in his bed, he wanted to talk to him, explain a few things before they got naked and were lost to everything but the pleasures of the flesh, so he fumbled with his keys, trying to dampen Alec’s enthusiasm a little.  But, Alec plastered himself against Magnus’ back and feeling just how _interested_ Alec was, the moment they stepped inside, all thoughts of conversation were forgotten.

If kissing Alec was like magic, and holding him was like home, making love to him was a supernova, causing joy and pleasure to burst from every inch of his body, destroying him and making him again stronger and better than before.  Lost in the moment, lost to the feeling of his lover’s body so close to his that the place where one ended and the other began became impossible to find, Magnus lost control for the briefest of moments.

“Magnus!  Your eyes!”

The last thing Magnus ever, _ever_ wanted to hear in bed and it came from the man Magnus wished to hold onto for all eternity.  He opened his mouth to explain but in that moment, Alec came with a cry of his name and Magnus, already so close to the edge, tumbled immediately after him.

Catching his breath, Magnus kept his eyes clamped shut, even as they separated.  He could feel Alec’s gaze on him, watching and waiting for an explanation for what he saw.  Trembling, Magnus took one more deep breath before turning to look at Alec, eyes glamoured once more and filled with sadness.  The fact that Alec remained here even after that was a testament to how good of a man he was but Magnus knew he would be gone as soon as he got an explanation.

”Alec, Alexander,” he started softly.  “I can explain.”

 


	2. Two Souls - One Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus' take on Ch 12 of [Dragon's Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10438524/chapters/23047899) of the same name.

Rarely did Magnus lose control of his glamour.  He wore if for so long that it felt as natural as his makeup or hairstyles.  Hiding his eyes meant hiding his parentage, something he never wished to acknowledge, so he did it without thought.  Ragnor knew, and Cat and Raphael.  But after that, Magnus kept his father’s identity a secret.  He hid most of his past, if only to avoid seeing the pitying or terrified looks on people’s faces.   
So when he realized Alec saw his eyes, the only thing Magnus could think was that his lover would be darting quickly.  No cuddling in bed, no lazy breakfast.  Just the back of Alec’s head as he ran as far and as fast as he could away from Magnus.  

Self-pity already started to set in when Alec spoke.  But the words he said made no sense and Magnus stared, trying to figure out exactly what he meant by  _ I thought you were dead. _  That was a weird thing to say to someone, wasn’t it?

His mind flew through every possible explanation he could come up with but none of them made any more sense than the last.  If there was one thing Magnus would never be, it was dead.  Not that Alec had any way of knowing that.  Though, it appeared that no matter what Alec meant by what he said, he was concerned about Magnus.  Concern he could deal with.  Fear, not as much.  Concern gave him hope.

“Alexander, I think… I think you are going to need to explain some things because right now, I am very confused.” Maybe Alec could help him make sense of this because even four hundred years of life were not helping Magnus figure out what in Lilith’s name was going on.

And just like that, the hope was taken away.  “First, can you answer one of my questions?  What are you?  I thought you were human but you’re not, are you?”  He didn’t sound disgusted or terrified or upset but no one likes to be accused of not being human, even if they weren’t human to begin with.

The moment of truth, when he would say the words that were guaranteed to send his beautiful lover running. “No, I’m not.  I understand if that is a problem.”  

The growl that rumbled low in Alec’s chest seemed inhuman, deep and feral and it caused lust to roil inside Magnus, though how he could think of such things at a time like was beyond him.  Still, it wasn’t an angry growl, more of a frustrated one and Magnus looked at him with a small amount of hope and a whole lot of confusion.  “I don’t care.  I don’t care what you are or where you’re from or anything.  I just want you.  I wasn’t lying when I said I’ve waited for you for so long.”  One minute, his beautiful mundane was looking at him, then Alec blinked and everything in Magnus’ world fell into place..  “Besides, I’m not human either.  So it probably makes things easier.”

Those eyes.  THe person he had been waiting for was here in his bed, was the man he already felt himself falling in love with. In all the world, Magnus couldn’t have imagined that the eyes he used to see in his dreams belonged to someone as strong, intelligent and beautiful as his Alexander.  He was kissing the man before he even realized it, all the joy and passion and lust bubbling up into a confusing storm of emotion in his mind.  “You?  What are you?  Where have you been?  Ragnor was right!  He’s never going to let me live that down.”  If he had to deal with insufferable Ragnor, so be it.  Everything was perfect.

“What’s a Ragnor?”  Alec’s adorable confusion was offset by the frankly beautiful and captivating eyes. 

Nonsense spewed from his mouth, babbling about Ragnor and the eyes and the wait and finally it all caught up to him and Magnus smiled, curiosity getting the better of him.  “What are you, Alexander?”

“I’m a dragon.”  A dragon.  A thing of myth and legend manifested here in his bed.  Magnus couldn’t have guessed that because it was better than he could have hoped for.  He opened his mouth to tell Alec that when yet another blow came in the form of a fairly innocent question.  “You’ll live forever, right Magnus?”

Usually he had more time.  He could prepare himself for the conversation that always hurt, the one that showed just how different he was.  Taking deep breaths and trying to school his features into something as neutral as he could with the sharp pain in his heart, Magnus nodded, “Yes, I will.  But if you have me, I’ll stay with you for the rest of your life.  I won’t leave you, Alexander.  Not unless you want me to.”

Alec’s touch was gentle, loving and Magnus closed his eyes to drink in the sensation of having someone care that much.  He still didn’t understand but Alec wasn’t running away, he wasn’t afraid of his demon half and he didn’t seem to upset about the immortality, even if it was the worst thing in the world to Magnus. “I’ll never want you to leave, Magnus.  And as for the rest of my life, it will be as long as yours.  Dragons are immortal just like warlocks.”

Immortal.  His beautiful, perfect lover was immortal.  No longer able to keep them in, the tears streamed from eyes as he held Alec tight against him.  “You are perfect, Alexander.  You were worth the wait.”

Alec fell silent as Magnus did as well.  He held tight to the dragon, almost afraid that if he let go, Alec would disappear.  But he was real, he was here, and now he knew he would never,  _ ever _ lose him.  If Magnus could have picked the perfect happy ending for him, it was this, right here. 

But it wasn’t an ending.  They had eternity.

Looking into Alec’s eyes, Magnus lost his breath.  The beautiful hazel shifted to a warm amber which hardly seemed possible.  The color shifted, swirling until it appeared to have a life of its own.  “You are so beautiful,” Magnus whispered, dragging a thumb lightly along Alec’s cheekbone. 

“How old are you Magnus?”  Alec asked him, eyes still curious and warm, though the drastic change of subject confused Magnus.

“Around four hundred, or so.  Time wasn’t kept track of as well back then so I’m not entirely sure when I was born but I can narrow it down to about a decade. I had an utterly mundane childhood until my demon mark manifested.”  If Alec was truly his soul mate, he deserved to know the story but now wasn’t the time.  This was a time for happiness not for the sad memories of their pasts.

The soft laugh from Alec made him smile before he fell silent, amazed. “I’m older than you,” Alec said with a happy smile.  “I’m about five hundred and fifty.  Been the leader of our little clan of three since I was twenty-five, which is also the time my human body stopped aging.”  

Pausing, Magnus looked at him confused, “Three? I thought you said there were four.  Your siblings, your sister’s mate and you?”

“Izzy just found her a couple days ago.  My brother found his mate a few days ago as well.  For so long it has been just the three of us and now, in the course of a week, our clan has doubled in size.  If you can call it that.  And if you want to be part of it.” Alec paused, looking at Magnus as if he were a puzzle Alec had not yet figured out.  “Do warlocks have soul mates?”

“Not that I know of, why do you ask?”  While he wanted to scream  _ Yes!  It’s you! _ Magnus knew Alec was talking about something far more concrete.  And even if they did love each other (Magnus knew for a fact how he felt anyway), it didn’t mean they were destined.

Alec started to move away and Magnus whimpered, following him.  Smiling, Alec kissed his nose and then settled back on the pillow, enough space that they could look at each other while they spoke.  “Because that’s what you are to me.  You’re my soul mate.  When a dragon comes of age, they see the eyes of the one that is destined to be theirs.  In times of great stress or emotional discomfort, the eyes will flash in their mind, offering silent support.  We dream of them too.  My sister’s mate told us that she used to paint pictures of my sister's eyes all the time, not knowing why.  She just learned what she was when we met her.”

Soul mates.  A literal person the universe saw to make perfect for Magnus and the other way around.  No wonder he’d fallen for Alexander so quickly.    “I’ve seen your eyes too.  Usually in dreams but now that I think about it, when I’ve used too much magic or am upset in some other way, I’ve imagined you looking at me, standing beside me.”  In all his thoughts about the eyes, for some reason soul mate never came to his mind.  “But I’m not a dragon.  Why would I be getting these visions?”

Alec shrugged, an amuse gesture considering he was laying down and Magnus smiled in response.  “I don’t know?  Maybe because our souls are actually linked?  My brother’s mate isn’t a dragon either but he used to picture my brother’s eyes.  He got the nice ones in the family.  Blue and brown and gold.  They’re almost as beautiful as yours.”  

Again, Alec thought Magnus’ horrid demon mark was attractive.  He couldn’t handle the sheer force of emotion he felt for his dear Alexander.  Instead of trying to put it into words, he rolled over so he could settle on top of him.  Their legs slotted together and the two of them lose one another in the kiss.  Lips and tongues, fingers and arms, every part of Magnus giving pleasure to Alec and vice versa.

Like a well-practiced couple who’d been together decades instead of hours, they prepped quickly before coming together as one.  Like the last time, their eyes locked onto one another but this time, it was Magnus’ gold ones staring into the amber of Alec’s.  And in that moment just before they released, Magnus understood what the term soul mate really meant.  They connected in every possible way - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual - and Magnus thought his soul sang in the same key as Alec’s.     

Eyes staring deep into the other, Magnus heard one word, whispered so softly he wondered if he heard it at all.“Mine.”  That was all it took for him to come, forcing his eyes to stay open so he could watch Magnus through his release as well.

With a snap of his fingers, Magnus cleaned them both before settling against Alec once more. Magnus rested with his head pillowed on the dragon’s chest, his voice sounding deeper than normal when he spoke, “My soul mate is the most amazing man I’ve ever met.  So you weren’t lying when you said magic?”

“Why would I lie to you, darling?” Magnus tilted his head to be on Alec’s shoulder so they could look each other in the eyes while they spoke. His fingers traced protection spells along Alec’s chest, not even realizing that was what he was doing.  They spoke about Magnus’ powers, both of their histories, and the happiness they felt being together.  Magnus could almost feel the sadness coming off Alec in waves when he mentioned only loving four people.  Perhaps in four hundred years, that isn’t a lot and it hurt along the way, but now, Magnus was glad that he had found the one love that would surpass all others, that would last until the end of time.

“Well, if it helps, you are the last person I’ll ever love.”  Sure, Magnus had been thinking the same thing but to hear it from Alec brought absolute joy to his heart and he couldn’t stop the smile even if he tried. “I love you, Magnus Bane.”

“I love you too, Alexander Lightwood.”

Magnus could have stayed in that moment, locked in their bubble of love and happiness forever.  Instead, Alec’s phone began to ring.  For a moment, Magnus thought he wouldn’t answer it but in the end, he rolled over and grabbed it, practically growling, “What? I’m busy.”

He could hear what the other man was saying and he got worried.  Luke.  Clary.  Warlock.  Brooklyn.  Whether Alec noticed the tension entering his body or not, he didn’t react, fully focused on the phone call.  When he hung up, Magnus stared at him with a look apprehension.

“Babe?  What’s wrong?”  

Magnus dropped his eyes, “Your siblings are going to see someone?  About memories?”  

“Yeah.  Some warlock who took….” Magnus had felt the intrusion to his wards, knew what was about to happen but said nothing, waiting for Alec to get there on his own.  And when the knock sounded at the door, Alec sighed,  “That’s them, isn’t it?”

He always knew that Jocelyn’s request was reckless and foolish, that someone would end up getting hurt because of it. Now Jocelyn was missing and Magnus would have to explain to her daughter and a family of dragons, including his own soul mate, why he agreed to such a poorly thought out and cruel plan.  He nodded and started to climb from the bed.  “Probably.  Better get dressed.  Sounds like I have some explaining to do.”


	3. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus is horrified that Alec has never experienced a particular dating rite of passage and sets about to rectify that as soon as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Considering the pain I inflicted in Ch 27 of DH, I thought it only fair to bestow upon everyone some fluffy goodness for each of our couples. Here is the Malec contribution.

“Are you telling me you have never been to see a movie on the big screen?”  Magnus’ voice was incredulous as he stared at his boyfriend with dismay.  “How have you managed to live as long as you have and never go to the movies?”  While far from mundane and mortal, Magnus took great pleasure in exploring their culture.  The mundanes had great forms of entertainment, things that would survive far longer than they did and Magnus appreciated that.

Alec shook his head, “That’s not what I’m saying.  I’ve been to movies before.  I think I had to see Titanic a hundred times.  And it wasn’t Izzy dragging me to it.”  Magnus stored that piece of information away for later, looking forward to teasing the blond dragon endlessly about his taste in films.  “But I’ve never been on a date to the movies, which is really what you were asking.”

For the life of him, Magnus couldn’t understand why there weren’t men beating down the door for a date with Alec Lightwood.  He was intelligent, beautiful, funny, and kind.  He was unfailingly loyal and loved his family with everything he had.  In short, he was perfect.  Which is why it made no sense why he had so few dates.  Men of this century were obviously blind to the true treasure that was his boyfriend.

Which was all the same to Magnus because he had no intention of sharing.

“Why not?  Dinner and a movie has been the standard date for almost sixty years now.  Everyone has gone on one of those dates.  It just isn’t possible that you haven’t.”  Noting the blush on Alec’s cheeks and the fact that his soul mate was looking anywhere but at him, Magnus wondered what he was hiding.  “Alexander?  What is it?”

Alec gave him a small smile before dropping his eyes once more.  “You sort of answered your own question.  It’s been the standard date for sixty years.  It’s been, um, longer than that since I had a date.”

And that was frankly inconceivable to Magnus who gaped openly at his love.  “You haven’t been on a date since the nineteen fifties?”  How?  Why?  What?  Incomplete questions ran through his head.  Sure, they’d had the dreaded ‘past relationships’ conversation but Magnus had assumed there’d been at least a few dates in there now and then.

“I haven’t been with anyone since World War Two,” Alec explained.  “And with him, it was a foxhole romance.  We didn’t get to go on dates.  We spent most of our days trying to stay alive and when we could actually be together, we did what we could to reassure ourselves that our hearts were still beating.  He died on the beach in Normandy.  I tried to save him and got hit with a mortar so I had to go hide until the end of the war.  Jace had to do the same thing but considering we were both dead, we didn’t have any way to contact the other until the war was over and we could start new lives.  We went and lived in Australia for a couple years after that.  All of us needing to get away.”  

Magnus remembered Jace saying how he’d loved Clary during that war and how after Pearl Harbor, he’d had to hide someplace.  No one ever mentioned a similar situation with Alec, though his lover really was dead and no amount of talking about it would change that.  “And you haven’t dated anyone since?”

Alec shook his head, “Not until you.  You are the first person I met since the war that I wanted to spend time with.  You were special and I was falling in love with you before I even knew you were my soulmate.”

Feeling his heart melt at the words from Alec, Magnus leaned in for a soft kiss. “I was falling in love with you as well.  When I showed you my eyes, I worried you’d leave and never come back.  Of course, I should have known you were a better man than that.”  He cupped Alec’s cheek and smiled at him.  They stayed there for some time, staring into each other’s eyes.  How Magnus got to keep this beautiful man forever was beyond him.  He never thought he would be this lucky and yet, here he was.

Finally, he blinked and looked away, still smiling as the warmth of his lover for Alec bloomed in his chest.  “So, movie?”

Alec laughed lightly, leaning in to rest his forehead against Magnus’.  “What is so important about seeing a movie?  Can’t we just stay home and watch one here?”  

While Magnus knew his boyfriend was a homebody of the highest degree, he held the opinion that the movie date was one everyone should experience at least once in their life.  “Darling, there is nothing that we need to be doing tonight.  Everyone is safe or resting, or on dates of their own.  We literally have a night to ourselves and there is a right of passage that you, my love, have never experienced.  Tonight, I think we need to rectify that.”

“Really, a date to the movies is a rite of passage?  You don’t think you are exaggerating just a bit?”

Magnus grinned, pulling Alec in for a kiss as he fisted his hands in his boyfriend’s shirt.  “No, I think making out in the back of the theater like a couple of teenagers is a rite of passage.  Considering movies weren’t around when either of us were  _ actually _ teenagers, you and I are going to go pay to watch something terrible on the screen and then not see any of it.”

He knew he’d won when Alec’s eyes flashed amber then went dark with lust.  “You just want an excuse to make out with me in public?”  Alec’s hands tightened instinctively around Magnus’ hips, pulling him closer and making his own eyes flash with desire, which he quickly tempered before speaking once more.

“I don’t see how that is a problem,” Magnus smiled innocently.  “I have a beautiful man and I want the world to know it.” 

“Magnus,” Alec whined, dipping his head to press his face against Magnus’ neck, warm breath tickling the sensitive skin.  “You don’t ever have to worry about me.  I am never leaving you.  You don’t need to prove your point or make your territory or whatever it is you are doing.”

Arms tightening, Magnus held him close, the two of them swaying a little as they stood in their living room.  Magnus knew he could spend forever like this, wrapped in Alec’s arms, pressed as close as they could be with clothing on.  But he pulled back to look at Alec, pulling a whimper of displeasure from his lover.

“I will always trust you, Alexander.  I don’t ever think you would stray because I know that what I feel for you is what you feel for me.  This isn’t about proving a point or marking my territory.  This is about going out with the man I love and having fun for a couple hours before the weight of the world settles back on our shoulders.”

“So, you just want to go to the movies with me, and if we happen to spend the whole night kissing and not watching the movie, that’s just between you and me?”  Alec smirked, drawing Magnus closer once more. 

“That is exactly what I am saying, darling.”  Because it didn’t matter if they were the only ones in the theater or the crammed into the two most unfortunate seats in the place.  If they were together, it would be the best date Magnus had ever had.  “Plus, if we tried this with your siblings, they would probably throw popcorn at us.  Don’t you want to have one date where it is the two of us, all alone, without our four children tagging along as well?”

“When you put it that way,” Alec smiled.  “Alright, what do you want to go see?”  

Magnus’ smile fell and he frowned, “I’m not sure if there is anything out right now.  We should probably check.”

“You mean you didn’t have a movie in mind?”  Magnus would have laughed at the flabbergasted tone if he didn’t think Alec might have screamed if he did.

Instead, he shrugged and gave Alec a lopsided grin, “Honestly, I didn’t think I would get that far.”

Alec growled, Magnus squealed, and Magnus ran for the bedroom, laughing, with his boyfriend right on his heels.  

They never did make it to the movies that night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events of Chapters 14 and 15 in [Dragon's Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10438524/chapters/23047899). Might be able to be read alone if you remember that the Lightwoods are dragons, not Shadowhunters.

Magnus’ first choice of getaway would not be a weekend in the mountains of Colorado.  Maybe if there was a spa there or something, he could be convinced, but camping?  Magnus Bane did not  _ camp _ .  Maybe once, long long ago, he would have considered it.  But now, he appreciated the finer things in life, which included central air and a comfortable mattress.  

However, when one’s boyfriend and soulmate was a dragon, Magnus supposed sacrifices had to be made.  He fully intended on magicking up a nice tent for Simon and himself, however.  While the dragons may be content to sleep out in the elements, Magnus preferred to have something over his head.  Sleeping out in the open brought back memories of his earliest days, wandering the wild areas of his home after the deaths of his parents.  No, this was a time to connect with Alec and not relive his worst memories.

But what did one take for a trip to the mountains with a family of dragons and a vampire?  Over the centuries of his life, Magnus thought that maybe he’d experienced all the weird scenarios possible, but this was a new one, even for him.  Alec seemed to be taking nothing at all if his boyfriend was to be believed while Izzy would bring an entire trunk’s worth of clothes and makeup (again, according to Alec).  They were going someplace no human had yet touched, so the modern amenities he’d come to enjoy would not be available to him.  They were indeed roughing it.

In the end, he compiled a small assortment of outfits (with the makeup and jewelry to match) and put it all on the bed while he searched for his luggage.  “Magnus?  We are going for two days.  I don’t think you need all of this.”  Alec’s voice reached him in the closet where he was pulling out the bag he wanted.  “And if we have to fly at all to get there, I have to carry everything you bring so is there any way you could pare it down, even a little?” 

“Alexander, darling, all of this takes effort,” he grinned, gesturing to himself as he came back into the bedroom, small bag in hand.  “But I promise, it will be no burden to you.  I’m happy to carry it.  You don’t worry your pretty little head about it.”

The bag that hung from his fingers barely looked large enough to hold a few books.  Magnus had enchanted it a few years ago after drinking too much and gorging himself on British pop culture.  Between Doctor and Harry Potter, the idea of making something that was bigger on the outside than the inside appealed to him.  He’d chosen the bag simply because if he destroyed it, it wouldn’t be as hard to replace as his entire loft (which had undergone the same treatment when Magnus was sober).  

He didn’t tell Alec this, simply held the bag up for him.  “I will take everything I can fit in this bag, agreed?”  Struggling to keep his lips from curling up into a smile, he watched as his dragon stared at the bag in confusion.  He was awfully cute with his brow furrowed like that.

“You aren’t going to fit even one outfit in there, Magnus,” he said carefully like one would talk to a spooked animal.  “I know I said to pack light but you can take more than that.”

“Oh, ye of little faith, Alexander,” Magnus grinned.

Alec’s face bore a resemblance to expressions Magnus had only before seen on cartoon characters as he started putting outfit after outfit inside the tiny bag.  By the time he was done, the knapsack contained four outfits, jewelry, makeup, a hand mirror, and (because Magnus enjoyed making Alec’s eyes bulge) a couple pillows and a blanket.  “How?” he asked, grabbing the bag from Magnus which still felt as if it contained nothing.

“Magic, darling.  You’ll get used to it eventually.  I may have picked up this particular spell from a mundane television program.  The bag is bigger on the inside.  If you have anything you want to bring, I can easily fit it in there.”

“You watch Doctor Who?” Alec asked, still staring into the vast cavern inside.

Placing his hand over his heart, Magnus pretended to swoon.  “Just when I think you can’t get any hotter,” he mused.

Laughing, Alec shook his head as he handed the bag back to Magnus.  “We lived in London before coming to New York.  I watched all of the original series before we moved over here, and then we started watching the new one once we could get it.”

“Every word out of your mouth makes me want to rip your clothes off even more.” 

“Magnus,” Alec warned, rolling his eyes and pushing the warlock toward the door.  “My sister is already here, Jace will show up soon, and we need to get going.  We don’t have time for you to rip my clothes off.”

Magnus would thoroughly deny whining but allowed Alec to move him from the room just the same.  Though, a smile spread across his face as Alec whispered in his ear, “But when we get back, we can watch all the Doctor Who you want.  Without clothes on.”

“I knew I loved you.”

Eventually, Simon and Jace arrived, Simon’s hair sticking up in a way that suggested only one possible activity prior to their arrival.  When Jace griped at them for rolling their eyes, Magnus responded, “No, we are just all thinking the same thing, Blondie.   You don’t see the rest of us having trouble keeping it in our pants.” Alec gave him a pointed look and Magnus knew he’d been caught.  But the rest of them didn’t need to know that.

It didn’t take long for everyone to be ready and Magnus opened a portal.  The Lightwoods led the way, dragging their partners with them and soon enough, they stood in a clearing where the sun had just gone down behind the horizon.  

The place was beautiful, even in the dim light they still had.  With a flick of his wrist, Magnus sent lights around the area to help them figure out where everything was going to go.  Watching Alec take charge, Magnus remembered what had attracted him to the man in the first place.    “So, we need to set up a tent for Simon and Magnus and get the rest of camp settled before it gets too dark,” Alec was saying and it took Magnus a moment to realize that he didn’t want that after all.  They’d come all this way and what Magnus wanted more than anything else was to spend time with Alec.  He couldn’t do that if he was sharing a tent with Sheldon.  

“If it’s all the same to you, I would prefer to sleep out next to you this weekend.  The point of going away together is to actually spend time together.”  Seeing Alec’s eyes soften made the decision worth it and Magnus knew he would follow through with it.  Even if it was terrifying to try to fall asleep without a roof over his head, Alec would be there with him and that would make it okay.

After convincing the vampire not to sleep someplace where he would burst into flames the moment the sun rose, Magnus made him a tent, excited and nervous to spend the night with Alec.  He’d just finished the tent when he heard Izzy cheering on Clary and his eyes went wide.  “While I know you said you were dragons, I’m not sure I really understood it until just now.”  Sure, his boyfriend could handle fire and had some of the most amazing eyes Magnus had ever seen, but he’d never really considered the fact that they were  _ literally _ dragons.    He spoke without taking his eyes off the copper and red dragons taking flight together.  “But I have to admit, now I’m really curious what you and Blondie look like.”  

He got the answer to the first part a moment later when Jace took off after his sister and her girlfriend.  The golden scales seemed to shimmer in the fading light and Magnus felt as awestruck as Simon looked. 

“Are you red like your sister?” Magnus asked, finally drawing his eyes back to Alec.  Red didn’t suit his boyfriend.  There was something that felt off about it.  It certainly worked for Isabelle, though.

Alec said he wasn’t but didn’t explain further.  With a quick kiss, Magnus gave him permission to go join his siblings, more curious than he cared to admit.  But even seeing Izzy and Clary and Jace didn’t prepare him for the moment his own boyfriend took to the skies.  While the others were flashy and eye-catching, Alec was the opposite.  He seemed to disappear into the coming darkness.  There was just enough light that Magnus could see the outline of his body, looking like carved obsidian as he cut through the night sky.

“Can you believe they are ours?” he asked, breathless as he watched Alec chasing after Jace.  Simon shook his head, eyes focused on the gold blur that went tumbling through the clouds with the breathtaking black dragon.  Tears formed in Magnus’ eyes and he had to blink and look away, overcome by the love he felt for his dear Alexander.  

Whether Simon saw his tears or simply felt the same need for companionship, he wrapped an arm around him.  “We are very lucky.  All the people in the world, and those two men, dragons, whatever, fall in love with us.  I don’t know what I did in a previous life to deserve Jace, or if this is my apology from the universe for dying so young, but I don’t care.  I’m never trading that beautiful man for anything, and I know he feels the same.”

Magnus chuckled, a watery sound as he brushed away his tears.  Alec didn’t need to come back and see him with runny mascara.  “I’ve waited centuries for him.  And I thought I loved Alexander more than anything.  But now?  Now I know that what I feel for him almost transcends love.  Love seems like too small of a word for what I feel for him.  He’s extraordinary.”  The whole family was, really.  After everything Magnus had suffered in his life, finally having a place where he was loved and accepted was more than he could have ever dreamed.

Magnus and Simon sat by the fire Jace built for them before flying off, their eyes still on their soul mates far above, though Jace was far easier to see than Alec.  At one point, Alec seemed to disappear entirely and it was only when he saw movement off to the side that Magnus realized he had landed.  

It bothered him that Alec thought he would be upset by this side of him.  Not because he thought Alec didn’t have faith in his love but because he knew Alec must have experienced a lot of pain because of who he was.  Just like Magnus had.  But he thought Alec was beautiful in every form and in every way and told him that.  

Running his hands down the warm and sensitive scales, Magnus marveled how the dragon in front of him could look so different but still be his beloved boyfriend.  There was no doubt in his mind that Alec was indeed the dragon and so he felt no qualms about teasing him.  A few innuendos and Magnus was certain he would be able to see a dragon blush if it was only a little lighter.  

They settled down for the night, Alec curled up like the world’s biggest cat and Magnus tucked himself into one of the creases formed when he did so.  It was warm and comfortable, surprising given how hard the scales were, and he could feel the strong pulse of Alec’s heart through his whole body.  As he drifted to sleep, Magnus knew he would be making space for them to be able to sleep like this in the loft as soon as they got back.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Magnus went during the events of chapters 35 through 39 of [Dragon's Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10438524/chapters/23047899).

“Then your best wasn’t good enough.”  If Alec said anything after that, Magnus couldn’t hear it over the roaring in his ears.  How often had he heard that?  How often had he been told he wasn’t enough for someone?  Magnus thought those days were past him, that with a soul mate, he would be safe from such criticism.  Wasn’t Alec supposed to be the person who loved and supported him no matter what?  Instead, he was blaming Magnus for something that he could have done nothing to stop.

A moment later he saw red, his pain and frustration bubbling up inside him as the anger lashed out.  “Get out of my home.  You and your family need to be gone by the time I get back.  Come and find me when you have managed to grow up and realize that the whole world doesn’t revolve around you and your problems.”  Because despite the fact that Alec was older than he was, he acted like a spoiled child, yelling at everyone because he was upset.  Magnus didn’t deserve that and neither did anyone else who would cross paths with the furious dragon. 

Not waiting for an explanation, Magnus opened a portal and stepped through, willing himself not to look back at Alec one last time.  If he did, he would lose his nerve and stay.  Then one of them might say something there was no coming back from.  He hardly had to think where he was going.  There were two people in the world who knew how to deal with him when he was this angry and it didn’t matter which one he saw first.  

Stepping out into Rangor’s home in England, Magnus was far from surprised.  “Ragnor!” he called, not caring that he was loud and slightly out of control.  His friend would lecture him and then they would figure this out.  “Ragnor,  _ please _ , _ ”  _ he called.  “I know you are probably hiding from me but I need you, okay?”  Only after he sat down did Magnus realize he was shaking, the stress of everything finally catching up with him.

“Dear lord, my friend.  You are loud enough to wake the dead.”  Ragnor sat down on the couch next to him, causing Magnus to jump.  He hadn’t heard the other warlock arrive, to lost in his own mind.  “What possibly could have happened that you are here and not with your...?”  Ragnor’s mind seemed to catch up quickly.  “Alec.  Is Alec alive?”  The name struck his heart and Magnus nodded, unable to look up.  “Things must be bad if you are here and not with Alec.”

“He’s mad at me.  Told me I’m not enough.  I kicked him out of the loft but I can’t be there.  Even after a few weeks, everything about it reminds me of him.”  Looking up at Ragnor, broken and small, Magnus felt tears fill his eyes.  “Why am I never enough?  Why am I not even good enough for my soul mate?”

Their relationship was a strange one to everyone who saw it from the outside.  They were far more likely to yell at each other than embrace one another but in that moment, Ragnor didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around Magnus and pull him close.  They would both deny it later but for now, they both know it was what Magnus needed.  

“Come on.  We’re going to the hotel.  I think we both need Raphael.”  Ragnor didn’t even give him a chance to answer, simply opening a portal and pushing it over them, bringing couch and all into Raphael’s rooms at the Hotel.  The vampire himself stood there, looking baffled for a moment at his boyfriend embracing his father figure on a fussy Victorian couch that wasn’t there a moment before.  It was a testament to how strange their lives were that he hardly questioned it.

“What did that dragon do?” Raphael growled, sitting on the table in front of them and looking at Magnus with concern.  “I will kill him.  I thought I was going to have to kill Simon’s first but it appears yours is the worst of the bunch.”

Magnus wanted to defend Alec, it wasn’t his fault that Magnus failed to be what yet another lover wanted but Ragnor beat him to the punch.  “He apparently told Magnus here that he wasn’t enough for him.  I haven’t gotten the whole story out of him yet but I knew I was going to need help here.  I am not equipped to deal with an overly emotional Bane.”

“And I am?” Raphael asked, but his concern for Magnus was written all over his features.  “What brought that on?  You two seemed disgustingly in love.  I can’t see what might have happened to make him say such a thing to you.  You told him about your past, right?  So he knew what others have done and still said that?”  Magnus knew Raphael and Ragnor would tear Alec limb from limb if they thought he deserved it.  

“He was hurt fighting against Valentine.  Valentine came to my loft, surprised us there.  He had Elias with him who took down my wards and let them all in.  Elias had been acting weird lately but I didn’t think anything of it.  I couldn’t have imagined he would let that man into my home.  He’d never seemed to have any ambition but it turned out the Valentine promised him the High Warlock position if he helped him.”  Magnus sat back, staring at the paint on his nails as he recounted the story.  

“So Elias hurt Alec to get to you and Alec is upset about it?” Raphael guessed but Magnus shook his head.  It would have been easier if that was the case.

With a sigh, he continued, “No.  Elias kept me busy, taking down my wards and then fighting me in my own home while the real battle took place on the roof.  Alec was hurt before I could get rid of Elias and get the wards back up.” Magnus hesitated when it came to fighting the other warlock.  They’d been friends for a long time, or so Magnus thought.  To have to fight him wasn’t something Magnus ever wanted.  He didn’t rule the warlocks of New York with an iron fist.  If Elias had a problem, he would have been happy to listen to him.  

Instead, Magnus lost the love of his life and one of his people that day.  

“Alec blamed you for not getting the wards back up.”  It wasn’t a question and Magnus simply nodded as Raphael continued.  “Did you tell him that you were fighting for your life?  Does he know that he could have lost you?  Though, I suppose he’s lost you now either way.  But we all know you will forgive him eventually where if that backstabbing warlock had succeeded he would never have the chance.  The dragon better grovel for months before you take him back, Bane.”

While Ragnor was often on his side, this time he didn’t speak up in favor of Raphael’s plan.  Instead, he looked thoughtful for a moment before asking, “Is Alec alright?  You said he was hurt while you were fighting with Elias.  Did he heal completely before your fight or is he still hurting?  Will he live?”

Magnus’ breath caught as he considered Ragnor’s words.  No, Alec hadn’t healed and yes, Magnus would bet all the wealth he had that Alec was still hurting and would be for a long time.  But there was nothing Magnus could do about it.  Alec made it clear he didn’t think Magnus was good enough for him.  Because Magnus couldn’t keep him safe.

Well, he could have and that was what made it so bad, wasn’t it?  If Magnus had been better, Alec wouldn’t be hurting right now.  If Magnus hadn’t hesitated against Elias, if he hadn’t let the other warlock catch him off guard and sink that blade into his skin.  If Magnus was better, Alec wouldn’t have been hurt.  Instead, he fought for his life, using his magic both to stop the challenger while healing himself at the same time.  By the time Elias was gone, Magnus barely had the energy to lift the wards once more.  Not in time, he found out later. 

Magnus failed his soulmate and he would never forgive himself for it.  

Realizing he hadn’t answered Ragnor, he sighed, “Alec is still hurting.  They didn’t just injure him.  They took his very essence.  The blade was poisoned and has made it so he can’t shift into his other form.  He’s stuck as a human, even if he is technically still a dragon.  It happened to one of our friends, Lucian, and while he claims he is okay, I can see how it pains him to be without that other half of himself.  I worry what it will do to Alexander.”

“Do you think he meant what he said?” Ragnor prompted him, already seeing where Magnus mind was going.  Ragnor, his closest and dearest friend, the one who knew him better than Magnus knew himself.  

Magnus sighed and shook his head, “He was angry and lashing out.  I think when he calms down, he will be upset that he said those things.  Even if he had every right to say...”

“Stop right there, Magnus.  No, he did not.”  Raphael was incensed and Magnus fell silent for once, listening to his friend.  “He did not have the right to say those things because you did nothing wrong.  You were fighting for your life and he should have asked you instead of blurting out the first foolish thing that popped into his head.   I like Alec, you know I do.  Of all the people you have been with, he is the best by far.  But that doesn’t mean he can say whatever hurtful thing he wants to you without consequences.”

This odd conversation continued for some time, Ragnor defending Alec and Ragnor arguing against him, both of them on Magnus’ side as always.  He loved his friends, even if they were making him more confused.  

“If you lost your magic, what would you do?” Raphael asked finally.  

It was a question Magnus had been thinking of for some time.  He would lash out, he would yell and cry and scream.  And in the end, he would turn to Ragnor and Cat and Dot and beg them to find a way to reverse it.  Because who was Magnus Bane without his magic.  

Alec would argue he was the same person he’d always been, the man he fell in love with.  Which is exactly how Magnus felt about Alec.  Dragon form or not, he was still Alec and that was all that mattered.  

But he didn’t have a Ragnor and Cat and Dot to solve this for him.  He did, however, have Magnus.  And Magnus knew what he needed to do.  

“Thank you, my friends.  You have given me much to think about.  I apologize for pulling you from your house, Ragnor, but enjoy this time with Raphael and I will see you both later.  I have somewhere to be.”

Raphael nodded, clapping Magnus on the shoulder with the closest thing the vampire got to a smile.  He probably had a good idea what Magnus was up to but since he was not a warlock, he couldn’t understand, not completely.  Ragnor, on the other hand, looked at Magnus in all seriousness.  “If you need me, you call me.  For this, I would drop everything.  Cat will as well, and you know it.  I can talk to Dot too.  Our power is there for you if you find that yours is not enough.  Call when you get back and say hello to Tessa for me.”

“I will.  Thank you, my friends.”  Magnus stood and brushed himself off.  He hadn’t changed since the battle, first too worried for Alec’s well-being and then too mad to think about anything else.  Now, where he was going, it wouldn’t matter how mussed his clothes, they were only going to get dustier.  “I will talk to you soon.”  With a flick of his wrist, Magnus opened a portal and stepped through, now a man on a mission.

From the dim light of duMort to the dim light of the Spiral Labyrinth, Magnus took a moment to adjust.  The whole of warlock knowledge was held in these caverns and if there was any answer to Alec (and Luke’s) predicaments, it would be found here.  With a deep breath, Magnus took off in the direction of the books he felt would be the most likely to give him the answers he sought.  He couldn’t change what happened, couldn’t change the things he and Alec said to one another, but he could reverse the effects of that poison.  He could save Alec an eternity of living with only half his self and give Luke his identity back in the process. “Tessa, darling!” he called, stepping into the room to see one of his favorite warlocks standing there.  “I need your help.  Show me everything you have about dragons!”  

Together, the two poured over the books, highlighting spells that might be useful.  Two days passed when his phone pinged with a message.  

_ I’m sorry.  Can we talk? - A _

As much as Magnus wanted to run home to Alec, to pull him into his arms and work through every possible issue, he couldn't do that just yet.  But, Magnus wouldn’t return until he knew he could fix everything, not just the fight but what led to it in the first place.  So he waited for a few hours until he knew they were on the right track and wrote back to Alec, promising to be back the next day. 

Telling Tessa they were down to a matter of hours, his friend thankfully just rolled her eyes and got back to work.  The two read tirelessly until, mid-afternoon the next day, Magnus finally found what he’d been looking for.  Tears glistened in his eyes as he hugged Tessa.  “Go,” she smiled.  “Take care of him.  Once things are better, call me.  I want to meet the man who brings so much joy to your life.”

So, with the spell in hand, Magnus bid his friend farewell and opened a portal for home.  The next thing he had to do was find Alexander.  To tell him how much Magnus loved him and to tell him how they were going to fix this, together.  Like they would do everything else for all eternity. 

Magnus stepped out of the portal into his home and smiled as he saw Alec on the couch.  That part was easy.  Now, for the rest...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued tomorrow on Dragon's Heart...


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus goes to Izzy for some advice on asking a very important question.

“Isabelle, darling, I need your help.”  The thought originally crossed his mind when Magnus woke up next to Alec that first morning before either of them knew what the other was.  And he considered it from time to time since then.  But it was truly Luke and Jocelyn’s wedding that made Magnus certain.

He was going to propose to Alec and he wanted to do it in a way that would be unforgettable.  

Alec told him he hoped they would get married again and again for the rest of their lives, but the first one would be the most important, and Magnus needed to make sure it was perfect.  “Is there a particular way dragons ask their soulmates to marry them?”

While he should have expected it, Izzy’s excited squealing hurt his ears and Magnus took an involuntary step back, staring at her until she calmed down.  “Oh my god, this is so exciting!  You don’t understand, Magnus.  He’s wanted to get married forever but he wouldn’t  _ settle _ for anyone.  Alec only ever wanted to marry his soulmate, even after he supposedly knew you were dead.  Until recently, he couldn’t have married in the mundane way, obviously, but now?  By the angel, it will be the most beautiful wedding anyone has ever seen.”

Magnus knew that asking Isabelle for help might be a disaster waiting to happen, that while he loved his future sister-in-law, she could be a little controlling at times.  “You are jumping the gun, my dear,” he laughed trying to reel her back in.  "I’m not talking about the wedding yet.  I just want to ask him.  After he says yes,  _ then  _ we can talk about the wedding itself.”

“Well, we both know he is going to say yes so I think it would be safe to work on it now,” Izzy grinned, giving him a quick wink.  “But fine, let’s talk about the proposal.  What did you have in mind?”

That was the problem.  Every time Magnus came up with something, he realized it was more something he would want to be done for him instead of the other way around.  He wanted this day to be special and he wanted it to be about Alec.  Alec, his beautiful boyfriend who deserved everything that was good in the world.  “I want it to be the most Alec thing that ever happened.  And you know him better than anyone.  So, what would you recommend?  What would set Alec’s heart racing and make him fall even more deeply in love with me?”

“First and foremost, Alec’s heart races the moment he lays eyes on you so all you have to do is show up to achieve that particular goal.  Second, I don’t know if it possible for my brother to love you any more than he already does, Magnus.  Which is basically me just saying that you really don’t have to go too far out of your way for this.”  Magnus could see the excited gleam in Isabelle’s eyes and knew that they would be planning something spectacular, despite the words she spoke.  

He smiled, “Alright, I concede on those points.  But, I still want to do something special for him.  He deserves for this to be the best proposal in the history of the world, or at least the best one he will ever get.”  Magnus already had the ring picked out, because he could easily shop for jewelry and already knew what he wanted.  It was just a matter of going to his favorite artisan shop and getting it made.  As they spoke, the ring sat in a small velvet box in one of the drawers of his dresser just waiting for the moment to be right.

Izzy fell silent for a moment, lost in thought as the two of them sat on the worn couch of Alec’s old place, the apartment where Izzy and Jace now lived with their two soul mates.  Magnus figured they would be wanting more space soon and after the proposal was going to talk to Alec about offering his siblings apartments on the lower floors of his building.  

Engagement first, though.  Magnus preferred if their building was empty the night they got engaged.  He doubted they would be quiet and didn’t relish his future in-laws listening to him celebrate.  “What are you thinking?” Izzy asked him and Magnus turned to look at her, having almost forgotten she was there while daydreamed.  

“Alexander isn’t one for grand, public statements.  So, obviously, no proposing on a big screen in Times Square or anything similar.  It would need to be intimate, private.  And someplace that means something to the two of us.”  Which narrowed it down. Magnus could think of four locations that were important in their relationship so far.  

The loft, which was kind of boring.  

Indonesia, which was far away and would definitely alert Alec to something being up. 

Colorado, which was beautiful but had the same problem as Indonesia, with the added complication that it was February and Magnus didn’t want to freeze in what he expected would be feet upon feet of snow.  

The museum, where they first met.  

“The museum,” he whispered, surprised he hadn’t thought about it until just that moment. “It’s perfect.”

Izzy, for her part, did not seem to agree.  “You want to propose to him where he works?  I thought you were supposed to be the romantic one of the two of you, Magnus.  I am sure you can come up with something better than his office.”  When Izzy put it like that, Magnus could understand why she was so incredulous.  But she wasn’t there.  She didn’t spend those long hours pulling items out of boxes, designing the perfect exhibit and sharing stories from both the artifacts themselves as well as their own lives.  And then there was the opening night gala, the night of which they discovered just who they were to one another.  

“Not in his office.  I agree that would be about the least romantic thing I could come up with.  But in the exhibit.  Maybe right before we start breaking it down and getting the artifacts ready to ship the next museum.  That exhibit brought us together.  I can’t think of a better place to ask him to be with me forever.”  Even if that would happen with or without a ring.  The ring just made it that much better.  

She fell silent for a few moments before nodding, “You’re right.  That might be the best possible place to do it.  Alec will find it romantic, you could arrange to be all alone there and then you both know the route from the museum to your house like the back of your hand so you won’t have to think too hard in the rush to get one another’s clothes off to celebrate properly.”

“Isabelle Sophia Lightwood, I am insulted that you would even insinuate such a thing.”  He winked at her, “You underestimate how much I might want to take him then and there at his work.  Give him something nice to think about every time he goes to the job.”  

Izzy laughed at that, “Only you Magnus have the possibility of convincing my dear, uptight brother to let go that much.”  She pulled Magnus into a hug, “So, you’re really going to do this?  Make an honest man of Alec and make him happier than I’ve ever seen?  Because if you break his heart, I will break you.”

While he had no doubt that Isabelle would do just that, Magnus intended to never make Alec sad again for as long they lived.  “Your brother’s heart is safe with me, Isabelle.  There is nothing more precious in the world.”

Magnus could already imagine their lives together.  He wouldn’t be High Warlock forever.  Eventually, he would hand the title off to someone else and then they would be free to move wherever they wanted.  Magnus wanted to see the world with Alec by his side.  They could travel now but Magnus wanted to live everywhere, moving whenever the mood struck them.  With nine-hundred years of life between them, they could get work anywhere, and even if they didn’t, Magnus had more than enough money to support whatever lifestyle to two of them wanted to live.  

He couldn’t wait for that part of their lives and easily lost himself in the fantasy it provided.  

“Magnus!” Izzy called, waving her hand in front of his face.  “Lost you there for a second time.”

“And I’m back,” he sighed, teasing smile pulling at his lips.  “Sorry, just thinking about your brother.  You know how it is.”

Izzy giggled, “Yeah I do.  I get the same way whenever I think about Clary.  She is amazing.”

“And so are you.  You and Biscuit couldn’t be more perfectly suited to one another and I’m glad she will have you with her for the rest of her life. And I’m  _ really _ glad I don’t have to keep stealing her memories because it pained me to do that to her. Poor child.”  When Magnus stole her memories, he knew there was something Jocelyn wasn’t telling him.  Something about why they never seemed to age, why Clary had to keep thinking she was between sixteen and eighteen years old.  But Magnus never asked because it wasn’t his job to pry into the lives of his clients.  Maybe if he had, he would have met Alec sooner.  

But Magnus and Alec had each other now and that was what mattered to him.  

“How are you going to get him to the museum without him asking what you are doing there?”  Izzy asked, bringing him back to the logistics of what he wanted to do.  “Or are you going to take my brother to his work on a date because while he loves his job, I don’t know if that is something even Alec would like.”

It was a good point.  Getting Alec there without raising his suspicions would be a challenge.  But Magnus had something working in his favor that the rest of them did not.  “That is what magic is for, my dear.”  Seeing Izzy’s puzzled look, Magnus explained, “What if I set off an alarm at the museum.  Nothing major but something Alec would want to check on.  You and I both know he wouldn’t be able to rest until he knew everything was okay.”  It was one of the things Magnus loved about him.  Alec’s dedication to his family and his work was admirable and Magnus knew Alec would be just as dedicated to their marriage for as long as it shall last.  

“Can you use your magic to record it too?  Because I want to see my brother cry when you confirm that the two of you are going to be together forever.”  Magnus doubted that Alec thought anything less.  After their separation, they’d both vowed to put in whatever effort was necessary in order to make this work.  

Still, he smiled at his sister-in-law to be’s enthusiasm. “Even if I don’t get a video, we can figure out a way so you can share in our happiness.  I give you my word, Isabelle.”  This was something he hoped would be a happy time for the whole family.  After all the pain they’d been through lately, first having Jocelyn and Luke’s wedding, then Magnus and Alec’s would bring some much-needed joy to everyone’s lives.  

“So, when are you planning on doing this?” 

Magnus would do it right now if he could.  He didn’t want to wait any longer until he could call Alec his fiance, but first, he wanted to make sure everything was perfect.  

“Two weeks,” he said with confidence.  “The exhibit will be due to close about then and it would be the perfect time.  I want it to be when our work is still on display so it has to be soon.  Plus, I want my ring on his finger as soon as possible.”

“Two weeks?” Isabelle asked, biting her lip as she was obviously trying to hold back a laugh.  “That Saturday maybe?”  A few giggles slipped out and Magnus narrowed his eyes at her.  

“Yes, that Saturday.  Alexander already has tickets for us to go to a show, so it would be the perfect time I think.  Why are you laughing?”  Izzy knew something and Magnus didn’t like it.  Something was wrong, or at least just really, really funny

She shook her head and grinned.  “It’s nothing.  Just, Clary and I have something that night too so I won’t be able to crash it and watch for myself.”  Leaning in, Izzy kissed his cheek.  “I can tell you this, Magnus.  Alec will definitely say yes.  He loves you more than even Jace and me.  Which is all we’ve ever wanted for him.  So, thank you.”

Magnus didn’t know if that was true.  Alec’s love for his siblings was legendary.  But even if the amounts of love were equal, Magnus knew it was very different love which was really what mattered.  “And I love him.  I can’t wait for the rest of forever.” 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec isn't the only one who gets to have a bachelor's party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Associated with Chapter 50 of [Dragon's Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10438524/chapters/31999203). Because every drunk Alec deserves a drunk Magnus.

When Alec proposed eloping, Magnus considered it.  If it was for any reason other than to get out of his bachelor party, he would have said yes then and there.  Because it meant a few more days of being Alec’s husband, of having Alec has his spouse. Magnus couldn’t think of much better than that.  

But Alec was doing it to get out of a party and that wasn’t enough of a reason to throw away all of his and Izzy’s hard work.  So, they would get married when they originally planned to and Alec would go get drunk with his siblings. Besides, Raphael and Ragnor were throwing one for Magnus, so he wouldn’t be home to cuddle with his gorgeous dragon anyway.  

Sure, normally he worried that a party thrown by Raphael and Ragnor would just be a stuffy dinner party where they talked about politics and current events but even they could throw a bachelor party, right?  Take the groom’s friends, add alcohol. Simple as that. And if they couldn’t figure it out, Magnus would work with what they had. 

“Go have fun with your siblings.  I get Ragnor and Sherwin,” he’d said, attempting to shoo Alec out the door all while wanting to kiss the adorable pout off his lips.

The last thing he saw as he stepped through the portal was Alec’s pleading eyes and it was almost enough to pull him back. Almost.  But Magnus wanted his party, even if Alec didn’t want his. (He’d tried to argue for a joint party but the idea was shot down, with the argument that couples didn’t belong at these things.  Which was how he ended with Clary and Simon at his.)

“Took you long enough.  I thought we would have to start without you,” Ragnor said as soon as Magnus showed up at the hotel.  He and Raphael were seated next to one another on the sofa, too close to be friendly but nothing untoward.  Cat and Dot were on the other side of the room, chatting with Simon and Clary. 

“And I thought you said no couples, and yet, four of the seven of us assembled are dating one of the others.”  Narrowing his eyes, he contemplated just calling Alec and bringing the parties together since their friends obviously lied to him.  “If this was just an excuse to...” Magnus didn’t know how to finish that sentence as he couldn’t think of one reason why they would want to keep them separate.  

Rolling his eyes, Ragnor held up his hand as if it would physically stop Magnus from talking.  “It is apparently a dragon thing. They sent these two to our party so that they wouldn’t be with their soul mates.  As that is not a thing for the rest of us, Clarissa here will have to deal with the fact that we are here with our significant others.”

As the only dragon there, it took Clary a moment to understand why she was being singled out.  “I haven’t been raised like a dragon for several centuries. I think the no couples rule is as stupid as you all do.  Obviously, Magnus and Alec would be happier if they were together and I know I’d be much happier if I got to spend the evening with my girlfriend.”

Simon nodded and then sighed, “But there’s nothing we can do.  Do you want to go up against both Izzy and Jace when they have their minds set on something? Probably easier to do it this way.  Besides, I don’t think they have blood for me and Raphael wherever they are all going so I approve of this plan.”

“Please, Sherman,” Magnus scoffed.  “You’d be drinking from Blondie right at the table by the end of the night.”  Everyone in the room pulled a face at that and Magnus shuddered, realizing what he’d just said.  “Right, so. Bachelor party? Drinks, yes?” Anything to get  _ that _ image out of his mind. 

Cat stood, pulling Dot to her feet as she did so.  “We are going to Ragnor’s for the night. No offense to our vampire friends but I think we would all be more comfortable with the whole of the clan can’t hear every conversation.”

Everyone else got to their feet while Ragnor opened the portal.  Raphael took a hold of Simon’s arm and pulled him through while Magnus held Clary’s hand just to make sure neither of them got lost.  Isabelle and Jace wouldn’t forgive him if their soul mates got lost in the void while celebrating his bachelor party.

It would definitely be a good story to tell the grandchildren, though.   _ Magnus Bane, the only man to ever lose party guests to the void while celebrating his impending nuptials to a five-hundred-year-old dragon. _

Stepping into Ragnor’s drab and cluttered home, Magnus didn’t bother to hold back the sigh that started deep in his chest.  When he pictured a bachelor party, he thought more flashing lights, heavy drinking and minimal amounts of clothing on certain dancers.  Not ‘retired librarian chic’ at the home of his grumpiest friend.

“This is the party?” Simon asked, echoing Magnus’ sentiments exactly.  “At least Jace doesn’t have to worry about me ogling strippers. Unless one of you is the stripper.  But if that’s the case, can someone send me home because forever is a long time to live with that image in my mind.”

Cat started pouring drinks and shook her head.  “No official strippers but after Magnus has had a few drinks, all bets are off.”  She handed out the drinks, grinning at Magnus. “Hopefully that won’t happen tonight because I have seen more sides of Magnus than I care to admit.”

“I am not that bad!” Magnus protested, taking his drink with a nod.

Cat and Ragnor didn’t even look at each other, just said the same word at the same time.  “PERU!”

He glared and downed the drink in one big gulp.  “It would be nice if you would stop throwing that back in my face every chance you got.  It’s been two hundred years, let it go.”

“You tried to drown me in an ocean filled with literal batshit and named a monkey after me.  You nearly started a riot, enchanted a flying carpet, and possibly desecrated some historical monuments.”  Ragnor glared back. “No, I will not let that go.”

“That still doesn’t explain why we are having the party here,” Clary said, strangely the voice of reason among a group that had barely started to drink.  

Cat refilled Magnus’ drink and then sat down.  “It’s because with the potion I put in our guest of honor’s drink, he’s going to have no filter on his mouth for the next couple hours and I don’t know about the rest of you but if he starts blathering about magic and vampires and dragons, I think it is best for him not get institutionalized before his wedding.”

Magnus looked at his drink and sighed.  He knew it tasted off but thought maybe Cat just mixed it wrong.  “And why would you do that, my dear? I’ve been nothing but kind to you my whole life.”

“And you tend to be a melancholy drunk,” Dot said.  “This way, we get all the fun of drunkenness without the moroseness of your formerly broken heart taking over.”

Magnus sighed and shrugged.  He knew the potion and there was no getting out of it but just pushing through.  “Hopefully you don’t regret this decision,” he said ominously, taking another sip of his drink with an evil smirk on his face.  He started thinking about his fiance, about the things he wished to do to Alec the next time he saw him. 

If they were going to play this game, he could at least make them wish they’d made different decisions.  

It turned out Dot and Clary knew each other, and Simon sort of knew her as well.  Dot had been working in Jocelyn’s shop, well aware there was something unusual about them but never asking what it was.  But now that all the secrets were out, and all of them were well aware that the others were not mortal, the three talked incessantly.  Ragnor and Cat talked about the latest in healing potions, leaving Raphael and Magnus to sit silently next to one another. 

“How are things with the Clan?” Magnus asked, sipping his cocktail and looking at the vampire who was both one of his closest friends and the son he’d always wanted.  “I’m sorry I haven’t been around as much. Life with Alexander has proved more adventurous than I expected. I will do better to come around on a more regular basis.” Not that Raphael couldn’t handle his people.  Magnus knew he was one of the best vampires for the job and one the whole clan respected. Unlike Camille who ruled through fear, Raphael ruled by knowing what his people needed. 

Raphael smirked and looked at Magnus with a raised brow, “Do you think you will be able to tear yourself away from your beloved dragon long enough  to visit?” Magnus opened his mouth to defend himself but Raphael stopped him. “I am joking, Bane. You do not need to look after us. We have things under control now.  Camille is gone. We are fine.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Magnus sighed.  “Everything is better now that she is gone.  I know my life got better when she was no longer a part of my life.  I assume that is the same for most of your clan.”

“It is.  She sucked all the life out of all of us.”  It was a testament to Magnus’ resolve that he didn’t giggle at that.  Because vampires.

But a second later he did grin.  “You know who else is really good at sucking?   _ Alexander _ . In Lilith’s name, the thing he can do with his mouth should be illegal.  But I’m glad that it's not because it is one of the best things I’ve ever felt.  That sinful, sinful tongue. And it’s so  _ hot _ .”

The whole room had gone silent, all of them staring at him with varying degrees of horror.  “Magnus!” Dot laughed. “No one wants to know what you two do in the bedroom.”

“Bedroom?  Please, Dorothea.  There isn’t one surface in that loft that I haven’t had that man on.  Or that he hasn’t had me on. Trust me, I think about that every time we have you all over.  How horrified you would all be if you saw what happened before you arrived.” Grinning at their stunned expressions, Magnus took another drink.  He’d lost track of how many this was, his magic refilling it everytime the glass got empty. 

Between Cat’s potion and the alcohol, Magnus was feeling light and happy.  “I can’t wait until I get home. I’ll take Alexander right there in the entryway.  Tends to happen when we’ve been apart for too long. Can’t even make it to the bedroom.”  Now that he had started, Magnus couldn’t stop himself. All he could think about was Alec’s hands.  Alec’s mouth. Alec’s...

“MAGNUS!” Clary yelled, trying to get his attention as he apparently had been talking the whole time if Simon’s hands pressed tight to his ears were any clue.  “You need to stop. I don’t need to know about my future brother in law’s anatomy. Please stop. Just...stop.”

“But...his butt,” Magnus giggled, just as his phone rang.  He had no idea how much time had passed since they’d arrived but his grin grew brighter when he saw the name on the phone.  

“MAGNUS!” came the best voice in the world through the phone, loud enough that everyone in the room could hear it.  

Unable to contain his excitement, Magnus yelled “ALEXANDER!” in reply.  He looked around, trying to find out where Alec was, “Where are you? I can’t find you.”

“His he always this stupid when he’s drinking?” Simon asked and Magnus glared at him, cat-eyes gleaming.

Cat looked at the potion in her hand, “No, I think I gave him too much.  Whoops.” She looked far from apologetic in Magnus’ opinion though he couldn’t put that into words, still talking to Alec, who was apparently kidnapped by his awful siblings.  Then Alec said something about the word moist and Magnus lost his focus again. “Know what else I like that is moist?” he purred, hoping to entice Alec to come to him. They would have so much more fun together. 

Raphael grabbed the phone from his hand, ignoring Magnus trying to get it back and demanding to talk to Alec’s horrible/wonderful kidnapper sister.  Once they were done talking, Raphael turned off the phone and pulled Magnus to his feet. “You’re going home. We would like to enjoy our evening and you, Bane, are not conducive to this.  Catarina, can you make a portal to the loft?”

“Izzy will be there?” Clary asked hopefully.

Simon perked up, “And Jace?”

“Yes, it turns out their brother is almost as annoying as our friend here.  They want to get rid of Lightwood and then we can have a better time.”

Unlike what he declared while at Ragnor’s home, the moment Magnus saw Alec, he threw himself into his arms and promptly fell asleep.  Lightwood wasn’t much better and it took the group several minutes to get them into bed. 

“I missed you, Alexander.  I love you. Let’s get married,” they heard Magnus sigh, looking back to see him nuzzling against Alec’s neck.

Alec’s soft voice still carried before they stepped through Catarina’s portal to spend the rest of the night at Hunter’s Moon.  “I love you too, Magnus. I can’t wait to marry you.”

The two were idiots but they were adorable and nobody in the party could really be too upset that their friends and brother found love together.


End file.
